Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00a.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008 so don’t forget to set clocks and watches back by one hour.  While an extra hour of sleep on November 2 brings extra rest (and may be beneficial for health), the end of daylight savings also means “shorter” days as the sun sets earlier and earlier each day until Winter Solstice.   Please drive safely as the sun sets earlier.  Daylight Savings time changes are also an ideal time to change batteries in household smoke detectors.  Please click here for more information on Daylight Savings time.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2008  and polls in California will be open from 7:00a.m. to 8:00p.m.  Registered voters who need to find their polling place can call the Voter Assistance Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE or look-up the information online.

CTV, the Calabasas Channel, is currently replaying a special, nonpartisan  program that reviews all the propositions on the November ballot.  Produced by the Center for Governmental Studies, the 13-minute piece gives a straightforward review of each proposition without any partisanship.  The program can also be viewed on-demand from the Calabasas website.

To get more information on candidates, propositions, polling places and general election information, please visit the Secretary of State's website. All absentee ballots must be accepted by an election official by 8:00p.m. on election day.  For more Los Angeles County voting information, please visit www.lavote.net.

The 2nd annual Calabasas Drive-Thru Flu Clinic will be held on Sunday, November 16, 2008 from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. at A.C. Stelle Middle School, 22450 Mulholland Hwy. in Calabasas (map).  Please note that although free flu shots will be offered on a first come, first served basis, unlike last year the event is open to Calabasas residents only.  Flu shots will be administered by Passport Health, the largest provider of travel medical/immunization services in the United States.  All Calabasas residents receiving flu shots must arrive and receive their shot in their automobile.   The minimum age to receive a flu shot at the clinic is 6 months.  All participants must fill out the following Flu Vaccine Screening Form (pdf - 1 page) before arriving at the Flu Clinic. Residents of other communities can find flu-shot clinics in their area by visiting http://www.flucliniclocator.org.

 Please note that due to the unique nature of this clinic, no walk-in participants can be accommodated.  Also, no pets can be allowed on-site for the clinic.  Participants are urged to wear short sleeves to help facilitate the drive-through process.  Flu Clinic consent forms are available on the Calabasas website and participants can download, print and fill out these forms to save time at the clinic. 

The 5th Annual Calabasas Classic will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2008 in Calabasas on a scenic course that is certified and sanctioned by USATF.  Registration for the 2008 Calabasas Classic 5k/10k Runs is still available.  

The first 500 registered participants in the 5k/10k or combo races will receive a custom embroidered race hat by HeadSweats.  Quantities will be limited so register early.  For more information on registration for the Calabasas Classic 5k/10k, please visit www.CalabasasClassic.com or email Julie Talbert directly. 

The County of Los Angeles will be holding an advanced Smart Gardening workshop on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas beginning at 9:30a.m.  Smart Gardening techniques conserve water and energy, save time and money, improve yards and gardens, recycle yard waste and kitchen scraps, reduce waste going to landfills, and help preserve the environment.  The Smart Gardening Program was started in 1994 by the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works to help meet the State of California Integrated Waste Management Board's mandated goal of reducing disposal of solid waste in landfills by 50%.  For more information about Smart Gardening or the workshop, please call (888) 253-2652.

The deadline to submit a drawing for this year's Environmental Coloring Contest is November 3, 2008.  Each year, the Calabasas Environmental Commission hosts an environmentally themed drawing contest that is open to both elementary and middle schools. This year’s contest is entitled: “Benefits of Paper Recycling” and encourages students to submit hand-created drawings.  Please submit your contest submissions to the City of Calabasas, Environmental Services Division, by Monday, November 3, 2008. All submissions must be on an 8 ½” by 11” paper in landscape orientation. Thirteen winners will be chosen by the Environmental Commission on November 4, 2008 based on the creativity and theme of their illustrations. The winning drawings will be printed in the 2009 City of Calabasas Community Recycling Awareness Calendar. The first place winner's drawing will be printed on the cover of the calendar.  Each winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate. Please click here for the 2008 Recycling Drawing Contest Flyer.  For more information, please contact Alex Farassati at (818) 224-1600.

The City of Malibu, together with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, is offering CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training in November and December for members of the public. The course will be presented as a series of 7 classes, on Wednesday mornings on November 5, 12, 19, 26 and December 3, 10 and 17, 2008 at Malibu City Hall, 23815 Stuart Ranch Road, Malibu.  Classes run from 9:00a.m. to 11:30a.m. All classes must be attended in order to complete the full course. There is no charge for these classes and the class schedule may be viewed online.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department will be also be offering CERT Training classes on Thursday evenings from January 15 to February 26, 2009 (7:00p.m.–9:30p.m.) and Saturday morning, February 28, 2009 (9:00a.m.–12:00p.m.).  All classes will be held in Founder’s Hall of the Calabasas Library, 200 Civic Center Way in Calabasas.  This free CERT training is open to all interested community members so participants do not have to be residents of Calabasas in order to attend.  Please click here to view the class schedule. 

Participants must attend all classes in order to receive a certificate of completion.  Previous CERT students who need to “make-up” a missed module or would just like a “refresher course” on a particular subject of interest are welcome to attend just that module. To sign up to attend these classes, please contact Debbie Larson, City of Calabasas Risk Management Analyst, at (818) 224-1616; or Maria Grycan, Los Angeles County Fire Department Community Services Representative, at (310) 456-7923.

Calabasas Residents in the 818 area code are now able to begin dialing 11 digit dialing (1 + the area code before the seven-digit number when making calls). The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to implement an area code overlay by adding a new 747 area code in addition to the 818 area code.  Beginning April 17, 2009, all calls placed from the 818 area code will require 11 digit dialing (1 + area code+ the seven digit phone number).   After this date, if residents do not use the new 11 digit dialing procedure, the call will not be completed and a recording will instruct callers to hang up and dial again.   Between October 11, 2008 and April 17, 2009, calls will be completed regardless of whether the old or new dialing procedure is used.  Residents are encouraged to change their speed-dial and programmed phone numbers now to reflect 11 digit dialing.  Phone numbers with the new 747 area code may be issued beginning May 18, 2009 and all residents who have a 818 area code phone number today will keep their 818 area code phone number.  For more information about the 818 area code overlay, please visit the CPUC website.

Scientific studies have shown that pharmaceutical drugs end up in the wastewater stream through normal human use. A large percentage of the contamination comes from direct disposal of drugs into the toilet or drain. Currently, there are no uniform methods to remove these substances from water and even if there were, they would be extremely costly to build and operate on a national scale.

Wastewater treatment agencies throughout California are working together to determine a long-term solution for proper disposal of unwanted medications. Until a permanent, uniform solution is created, each household should take steps to keep unused or expired pharmaceuticals out of the wastewater treatment system. At all times, patients should follow their doctor’s instructions regarding the use of pharmaceuticals, but if there are unused or expired medicines found in the home, take the following precautions:
 

• Ask if a pharmacy will accept expired drugs for proper disposal; or

• Take them to a Household Hazardous Waste collection site; or

• Crush them and mix with soil, then using the original container with safety caps, use secure shipping tape to seal the bottle, then wrap and place in the trash.

Please visit www.NoDrugsDownTheDrain.org for updated information on local disposal options and collections. And, the most important thing to remember is: “No Drugs Down the Drain!”

The 2009 Calabasas Municipal Election will take place on Tuesday, March 3, 2009.  There are three City Council seats to be filled in the upcoming Election.  The term of each seat is four years.  The nomination period for these three City Council seats opens on November 10, 2008 and closes on December 5, 2008.  To hold an elected office within the City of Calabasas, a person must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years or older, and a registered voter of the City of Calabasas on the day nomination papers are requested.  The candidate begins the nomination process by obtaining signatures on the nomination paper.  The nomination paper is furnished by the City Clerk’s Office without charge to those applying for nomination and there is no filing fee.  For more information, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (818) 224-1661. 

The Carl Gibbs Environmental Excellence Award is a symbol of commitment to California’s environment. The award, named for the late Calabasas Environmental Commissioner Carl Gibbs, honors a wide array of individuals, businesses, municipalities, government agencies, organizations, institutions, all working to benefit our environment. The Award recognizes voluntary activities by companies and organizations, big or small, private or non-profit, in or work done in the City of Calabasas and in California, that result in cleaner air or water, less waste, less traffic, conservation of energy and natural resources, efficient and water conserving landscaping, or reduced use of hazardous materials, etc. Furthermore, the Award honors those organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment or innovation above and beyond their primary mission.

The 2008 Award will be presented by the Calabasas Environmental Commission during their January 6, 2009 meeting at the City Hall. Nominations for the award are welcomed from individuals, companies, government agencies, consultants, educators, researchers and students. When selecting recipients, the Environmental Commission considers measurable improvements to environmental quality, creativity, environmental achievements, commitment to protecting the environment, promoting community involvement and other core values of the Award. A nomination form is now available online.

Please submit nominations by November 28, 2008 either by mail to City of Calabasas, 100 Civic Center Way, Calabasas, CA 91302-3172 Attn: Alex Farassati; by fax to (818) 225-7338, or via email to afarassati@cityofcalabasas.com.

FALL RECREATION BROCHURE

The 2008 Fall Recreation brochure is still available online.  Paper copies are available at City Hall, the Agoura/Calabasas Community Center and the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center.  The brochure features detailed information about adult and youth classes, senior citizen programs, community news and information, sports activities and much more.   Please look for Enrichment classes and other after school programs in the Recreation Brochure. Registration for classes is currently underway. 
For more information about Calabasas recreation opportunities or for help with class registration, please call the Recreation department at (818) 880-6461.

The City of Calabasas is pleased to announce that it will now be holding two free monthly electronic waste collection events in addition to the usual monthly water based paint and used oil collection event. On  the first Saturday of each month (Saturday, November 1, 2008), an electronic waste collection will take place at the Albertson’s parking lot, 26521 Agoura Road (at Las Virgenes Road) in Calabasas from 10:00a.m - 3:00p.m. A new, second monthly electronic waste event will take place on the 3rd Saturday of the month beginning on Saturday, November  15, 2008 in the Vons Shopping Center parking lot at 23381 Mulholland Drive in Calabasas from 10:00a.m - 3:00p.m.  Acceptable items include but are not limited to CD players, laptops and personal computers, microwave ovens, printers, radios, stereos, telephones, and VCR’s.

On Saturday, November 8, 2008 there will be a free water based paint and used oil collection event at the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center located at 23400 Park Sorrento from 10:00a.m - 2:00p.m. For more information, please contact the City of Calabasas Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator at (818) 224-1600.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut will take place at 10:00a.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2008.  This high-profile disaster preparedness drill represents a perfect opportunity for Calabasas families and businesses to make sure they are ready for potential earthquakes.  The Shakeout will feature a week of special events including the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history on November 13, 2008.  The drill and other Shakeout activities are being organized to inspire Southern Californians to prepare for potentially large and damaging earthquakes and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.   Local officials will be participating in the ShakeOut and anyone can register their participation on the official Great Southern California ShakeOut website.  For additional information, please visit www.shakeout.org. 

R.A.P. (Resolve and Problem Solve) is a Parent Education speaker series at Calabasas High School created to address the challenges and issues facing parents today.  R.A.P. events are now open to all parents in the Las Virgenes Unified School District.  On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, R.A.P. will host Dennis Poncher of B.I.L.Y. (Because I Love You), a parent advocacy group.  Poncher is a nationally acclaimed parenting expert and has appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, and has been cited in national columns as "Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers." The event takes place in the Calabasas High School Library and begins at 7:00p.m.  Please note that all R.A.P. events are for parents only.  Admission is free.  For more information about R.A.P., please contact Joey Levin at jlevin@lvusd.org. 

Conejo Players Theatre - Thousand Oaks
     Goodbye Charlie
    By George Axelrod
    November 14 - December 13
    Thurs., Fri. & Sat. at 8:00p.m.
    Sun. November 16 & December 7 at 2:00p.m.
    
Madrid Theatre - Canoga Park
     November 2008 Calendar

Scherr Forum Theatre - Thousand Oaks
     November 2008 Calendar

Be sure to tune in to CTV on cable channel 3 in Calabasas, through live online web-streaming, or watch any meeting or CTV program at ANYTIME through the new CTV archive.

This month on CTV:

Calabasas, A Living History
(View this program anytime with CTV Archiving)

Join host John Loesing, on location at A.C. Stelle Middle School in Calabasas, as he interviews Mac and Alice C. Stelle, long time Calabasas area residents.

Learn about Mac's involvement in starting the Water District, and Alice's career with the School District.

Catch episodes of Calabasas, A Living History on CTV - The Calabasas Channel.

Visit the CTV Channel Guide for a complete listing of programming.

Calabasas City Hall will be closed in observance of Veteran's Day on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 and for the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday and Friday, November 27 & 28, 2008.

City Council Agenda Items are available online the Thursday prior to a City Council Meeting. Agendas for all commissions are available online the Friday prior to the commission meeting.  All City Council meetings and commission meetings take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Way in Calabasas.






For a complete calendar of events and meetings during
November, please visit our Calendar Page.